Green Stone
by Petra Delling
Summary: One Shot-- Rogue has the opputunity to control her powers, but the decision is not as easy as it might seem.


Rogue knocked on the door to the Professor's office. He told her to come in and she swung the heavy oak door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The Professor was positioned as he normally was, leaning forward in his wheelchair with his hands clasped on his desk. Rogue sat down in the chair in front of his desk and was silent, waiting for the Professor to speak and tell her why he had requested that she come into his office. Rogue was always nervous when she was alone with the Professor. The simple fact that the man could, if he wanted to, read her mind and even kill her by concentrating scared her. Sure Rogue knew that the Professor would never do anything like that, but just the prospect scared her. 

"You know Rogue, that recently Miss Munroe and I went on a trip to visit one of my colleagues?" Rogue nodded. "I found something on my trip that could influence us all, but you the most." The Professor gazed steadily at Rogue and spoke slowly, "This rock," he picked up a small green stone, only a little larger than a pebble, from his desk and held in up. "Has the power to negate mutant abilities."

Rogue was shocked, to say the least. A rock that could cancel out mutant powers. In her case, a rock that could enable her to touch. What she had been dreaming about was within her grasp. Touch. And with it came relationships and life. 

"I am giving it to you Rogue. You may accept it or refuse it. If you accept it, I can have the rock made into jewelry of some kind for you to where easier." The Professor held out the rock. "Think about it."

Rogue took it and stared at the smooth green stone that rested in the palm of her hand. Mumbling gratitude, she stood up and quickly left the room. She went out to the gardens and continued staring at the stone. This tiny rock was her freedom. Rogue rejoiced. She could touch! She could live again! Rogue was so grateful to the Professor…it was funny that he told her that she could refuse it. With the stone, she could go back to the way she was before she got her powers. Maybe, maybe she could even go home back to Cadlecott. 

She could go back to short skirts, tank tops, a single thin layer of makeup, girlfriends, flirting, eyeing cute guys, popularity, She could have it all back with this one little stone. For an instant Rogue felt uplifted before she realized that the picture of what she had been before her mutation no longer appealed to her quite the same way. After discovering that she could not longer touch anyone, Rogue had changed her style to Goth.  She had piled on the layers of makeup and dressed in the dark clothing not only to mirror her mood but also to separate herself for other people. Rogue was no longer the bubbly, shallow girl that she had been before. Her mutation had given her character.

Now people looked at her with fear and respect—someone you did not want to mess with. Before her mutation, she had just been another air-headed girl, pushed around and manipulated. Rogue was strong now. She had strength enough to deal with whatever might come her way without backing down. She had become a strong, intelligent girl.

Rogue's mutation, what she so often called a curse, had done these things to her. She was now at a point where it was hard to imagine life where she could go about touching people and forming relationships. So much of her time was spent alone as she tried to gain control of her ability and quiet the voices that whispered constantly in her head. 

Rogue thought of Scott who had, instead of attempting to control his mutation, taken to wearing glasses all the time. Whatever chances that Scott had over controlling his powers were gone now; he was too reliant on his glasses. Scott's mutation had indeed become a curse, he would always be separate now, forced to wear the glasses and see only in shades of red. Rogue was determined not to let the same thing happen to her. She had always kept up the hope that she would gain control over her mutation. It seemed like this stone was a dream come true, but…

Rain fell softly, silently from the sky. Drops collided with Rogue's skin and she reveled in their cool touch.

What would happen if she rejected the stone? It just might be that she was on the verge of controlling her powers and in only a day, a month, or a year, she would turn them on and off at will. It was not like it was important that she be able to touch immediately. Rogue had no boyfriend or serious attraction to anyone. She was used to wearing gloves and long sleeved shirts. Rogue had never felt really comfortable in shorts before and the way she was now suited her fine. Yes, there was no need for her to gain the ability to touch right now. 

The prospect of her wanting to touch in the future, however, was great. There might be a boy, or she might want to live in a warm place where gloves would be foolish. It was conceivable that she might, at some point want her powers under control. It was also conceivable, however, that she might gain control on her own by that time. But just in case…

Rogue abruptly got off of the bench she had been sitting in and returned back to the mansion and the professor's office. She entered and placed the stone back on the Professor's desk.

"Give this to me in five years." She requested quietly and exited the office as hastily as she had come in, worried that her resolve might weaken and she might pick the stone back up again and take the easy road. 

Rogue did not want the short, easy path to touch that the stone offered. She had never been one to back down from a challenge or struggle and she certainly was not going to now.


End file.
